Joke Of The Day: 31 Oct 2007

Once a girl declared to her friends one day that she had stopped dating the promising colleague who lived down the lane. Her friends cried out, “But why? He patiently gave you solutions to all your problems!” “Yes,” replied the girl, “but yesterday, he gave me a bill as well.”

It is always better to understand the terms and conditions before any new venture; surprises may not always be pleasant!

Ask The Master: 31 Oct 2007

Q. What are punya and paap?

Whatever fills you with love and joy, expands your personality, whatever makes you feel love and compassion for others, is punya.

Whatever withdraws you from others, makes you feel unhappy and depressed, is paap. Joy is your true nature. Whatever takes you away from that, whatever turns you into a masochist or a sadist, whatever makes you feel sorrow for yourself or for others, is paap.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Ask The Master: 30 Oct 2007

Q. All over the world, attempts are being made to reform social wrongdoers, for example, in prisons, through practice of meditation. Do you agree with these efforts?

Certainly. We should definitely make these attempts. These places have become centers of negativity. Meditation can definitely do a lot in this area because ultimately the change has to come from inside the individual. Before you can see the change in society, the transformation should take place inside every individual, inside every potential criminal. Meditation can not only transform individuals; ultimately it can definitely bring down the crime rate in society itself.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 30 Oct 2007

A lady was training her daughter for her first dance at a party. She told her that it was important to maintain conversation during the dance.

At the party, she noticed that for every song, the same boy went over to her daughter and asked for a dance. She later asked her daughter why and got the reply: “I was narrating to him a suspense serial.”

This is another classic example of how people correctly misunderstand what is being told to them. The Truth slips so easily!

Ask The Master: 29 Oct 2007

Q. Compared to other contemporary swamis, you appear very young. Do you consider it a disadvantage?

Nothing is an advantage or a disadvantage. Ultimately, people are interested in what I have to offer. No one is affected by such details. Also, at least as far as spirituality is concerned, the ordinary ‘life experience’ is immaterial.

See, there are two kinds of experience – anubhava and anubhooti. Anubhava is acquired over a lifetime. It is like learning that fire burns, after testing hundreds of kinds of fire all your life. First you touch a log fire and find that it burns; then you touch a gaslight and find that it burns; then you try an oil lamp, then a match – and finally by the time you realize that fire always burns, it is time for you to go to the burning ghat! This is anubhava. But my experience is anubhooti. It happens when you learn from the very first fire. All fires are like this, all desires are like this. That leap is spirituality. If you come through anubhava you need a lifetime to become wise. Anubhooti needs intelligence, not age.

So age is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage for me – it is such, that’s all!

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 29 Oct 2007

A man decided to conduct certain tests on a few of his mentally retarded patients. Every evening, he went up to one patient and showed him a silver coin and a gold coin and asked him to choose. The latter always chose the silver coin. His friend told him one day, “You know, the gold coin is more valuable.” The patient replied, “Of course I know that. If I chose the gold coin, he would stop playing with me.”

Often, people communicate from different planes and they simply fail to relate to each other; this is how most problems start.

Words From The Master: 28 Oct 2007

Software of our mind

Nine out of ten people, if asked where their mind is, will point to their head, where we think our brains are!

Brains are not where our minds are. Mind is all over our body; within each cell, within the cell structure, embedded in the intelligence of the DNA and other building blocks of the mind body system that we are. There is as much mind in our little finger as there is in our head or our heart.

Mind is not fixed and permanent; not our cells as well. Cells die and are recreated every second. Our entire mind body system undergoes renewal every so often. What we are now is not what we were a year ago, not what we will be a year from now. Our mind body hardware is constantly renewed.

Yet, we behave the same way as we did a year ago or ten years ago, by and large. We are just as greedy, just as angry, just as depressed as we were a year or many years ago unless we have taken dramatic measures to change. We seem programmed in our behavior pattern.

We are programmed. We are programmed in our belief systems and attitudes based on our past experiences and memories of these experiences. It is these memories that drive us in all our actions. Unfortunately, all these memories lie in our unconscious mind.

We are driven by our unconscious, not by our rational mind as we wish to imagine.

We call this software of emotion filled memories that lie buried deep in our unconscious, samskara. Samskara are the embedded memories of our past, sometimes of previous lives, that drive us into action in the future. Since samskara are from the unconscious, we are unable to do anything to stop them, to control them or modify them. Unless, a big unless, we learn to penetrate the unconscious.

We can indeed penetrate the unconscious and dissolve our samskara, so meticulously built by our mind since childhood.

All we need to do is to bring ourselves into the present moment. In the present moment, no samskara exist, as these are products of our past. In the present moment, we have neither regrets nor anticipation. We just are.

Meditation leads us into the present moment. Meditation leads us into awareness of our samskara and from there into their dissolution. Meditation gives us control over our life, taking it away from the embedded software of our mind.

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This article was earlier published in the Economic Times, an Indian newspaper.

Joke Of The Day: 28 Oct 2007

A man took his wife to a psychiatrist who examined her and finally said, “Sir, your wife’s mind is almost gone.” The man replied, “I’m not surprised; she’s been giving me a piece of it everyday.”

Couples are so engrossed in the sculpting work of their better halves that they rarely stop to see if their work is actually paying.

Ask The Master: 27 Oct 2007

Q. Does true spirituality mean not to have any desires?

No, that is the wrong way of looking at it. From my experience, rather than cutting down desires, harness your inner energy better, so that you can fulfill your desires.

Q. But in modern-day life, there are too many desires, too many expectations. How do we reduce them?

To reduce desires is to reduce the richness of life. As I said, the important thing is to create the energy inside to fulfill those desires. There is nothing wrong in having desires, but you should work hard towards fulfilling the desires. Even if they are material desires, even if you want to buy a Benz car, nothing wrong. Meditation can give you the energy to fulfill even materialistic desires.

Q. But how can you go on increasing your desires, instead of leading a contented and desire-free life?

Don’t ever think of a contented life as a spiritual life. Sattva (goodness) and tamas (lethargy) may look the same on the surface. Do you think that anyone who wears simple clothes and sits on a mat on the floor is more sattvic and contented? That could be only the external appearance. It could also be that simply because he doesn’t have the energy, he may make do with whatever he has. Resignation and contentment are not the same, though they may appear so.

Q. But what if your mind is naturally content with what you have?

That kind of a mind is the natural by-product of spirituality. Don’t think that it can lead you to spirituality. It happens as a natural by product of spirituality. It happens from within. You can’t learn the attitude of contentment and try to make that a stepping stone to spirituality. People always ask you to learn to be content. Be very clear, you cannot learn to be content, you cannot acquire the attitude. Contentment has to flower within you as a natural result of spirituality, of meditation. Through meditation, you get a deep satisfaction from life, which allows you to be content with whatever you have.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 27 Oct 2007

The mad man had his ear pressed to the wall of his room all day. He called the attendant in and whispered, “Listen!” The attendant pressed his ear to the wall and listened hard. He finally declared, “I don’t hear a thing.” The man gravely replied, “I know, It’s been like that all day.”

A mad man invents worries after being pronounced mad. The rest of us invent worries and never doubt our sanity! Worries are our dearest friends without which we cannot live!

Ask The Master: 26 Oct 2007

Q. There are so many problems in the world which have not been solved. How can spirituality solve them?

Whatever problem there is, you have to make a beginning to solve it. Have determination and faith; that is the first step.

Q. I don’t mean our personal problems. I mean the huge social problems.

Spirituality is not just a personal thing. It can have definite repercussions on the social level also. Spirituality is not just meditation. It is also compassion and service to society.

Vivekananda says beautifully: Aatmano mokshaartham jagat hitaayache.
“Though we may attain enlightenment, to harness it for the service of humanity is true spirituality.”
Otherwise, it is only half spirituality, which causes even more trouble than agnosticism.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 26 Oct 2007

Once a psychiatrist decided to release two of his patients after putting them individually through certain deciding tests. He asked one, “What would you do if you bit into a green chilli?” The patient replied, “I would immediately drink water.” He released him. While going out, the patient passed on the answer to the waiting one. The waiting one came in. The psychiatrist asked him, “what would you do if your baby cries persistently?” Promptly he replied, “I would drink some water.”

Although all of us are going towards the same goal, we are all on different paths with different questions and different answers. We need to remember this in order not to get confused.

Ask The Master: 25 Oct 2007

Q. There are so many meditation techniques, that we get confused. Each group tries to promote its own technique. How do we know which technique is right for us?

I advise you to try out as many techniques as you come across. Everyone should try out some techniques, at least 4-5 techniques. See, everyone who preaches has a spark of truth inside – without that it is impossible to come out and be a master. But different masters preach the same truth in different ways. Also, different people have different mental make-ups. So they may fall in tune more easily with one master than with another.

So try out the techniques and see. Whichever gives you the deepest inner peace and the greatest clarity, follow it and forget all the rest.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 25 Oct 2007

Once a lady decided to stand for a Public organization’s presidential elections. She called up a friend to ask for her vote. The latter asked her, “Well, before that, I have a question for you. Do you spend a lot of money on sarees and cosmetics?” The lady paused and cautiously asked, “Is this an inquiry or an invitation?”

The intelligent ones ask the right questions before answering them. After all, why give the wrong answers!

Ask The Master: 24 Oct 2007

Q. Lots of masters give many meditation techniques. What makes your techniques special?

I don’t consider it necessary to promote any particular technique as special. I promote the principle of meditation. If more and more people are inspired to practice meditation after listening to me, that itself is sufficient - it is a good sign. It can be any method they feel comfortable with.

But if you are asking about my method, you could say that it is a way of balancing our inner energies. There is an energy that pervades the cosmos that works the planets, the sun and the moon. We are also part of this same energy, but we have lost touch. My techniques help in tuning us back to this cosmic energy. The more we tune ourselves, the more at ease we will be with our body, mind and spirit.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 24 Oct 2007

A man was brought in as a witness to the courtroom. In the middle of the proceedings, he looked at the Judge and said, “Sir, I don’t think I can help much.” The judge asked why. The man replied, “Sir, I was made to take an oath that I will speak only the truth, but every time I speak the truth, there’s someone objecting.”

When Truth is the sincere goal, it will be achieved. Else, it will remain hidden in its untouched splendor!

Ask The Master: 23 Oct 2007

Q. A lot of people come to you for healing, not for meditation.

Yes. Healing is my visiting card. My real message is meditation. When I say that meditation can lead you to the ultimate, I need - or you need - proof, am I right? That is why I promote healing. When people see the miracle of healing, they become drawn to me; they want to know more about this path. Without that do you think it is easy to draw people into spiritual life? Of the thousands who come for healing, if even a handful turn to meditation and spirituality in their personal lives, my purpose is served. And it is happening; it is happening everywhere.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 23 Oct 2007

A man was walking to his house when he got bitten by a dog. The doctor took a look and announced an advanced case of rabies. The man was shocked. After a while, he took a piece of paper and started writing. The doctor told him, “It's not that bad, you need not hurry on writing out your will now.” “Oh no doctor!” said the man, “I’m making out a list of people whom I can bite.”

It doesn’t take much to expose the true nature of our love. True love is feeling happiness in risking everything, and asking for nothing in return.

Ask The Master: 22 Oct 2007

Q. What are the benefits of meditation in today’s society? At any time and age, what does every human being need in life?


Strength and well-being of the body, mind and spirit. The strength of the body (sharirbal) keeps us free of physical diseases and helps the body maintain itself in such a way that we can carry on our day-to-day activities without any problem. The strength of the mind (manobal) keeps our minds calm and balanced and helps us live life fully and joyfully. The strength of the spirit (atmabal) takes us beyond both of these. With atmabal, there arises a sense of compassion, a spirit of tyaag (sacrifice), of service to society. While the other two are necessary only for the continuation and well-being of the individual, atmabal is essential for the continuation and well-being of society and humanity.

With only bodily strength, a man can become a thug, a rowdy, a nuisance in society. If he possesses bodily and mental strength without the strength of spirit, he becomes cunning, dangerous. He could become a criminal, a menace to society. Only when man combines all three strengths does he flower as a complete individual. He becomes an asset to the society in which he lives, and to the world.

The single master key that can unlock all these strengths is meditation. It is now well known that meditation can work wonders for the body. Through meditation, one can cure diseases like low or high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension and a whole range of ailments. Many have experienced these benefits for all kinds of pains; even intellectuals agree on this matter.

Meditation helps you cleanse your chakras. Have you all heard about the chakras? In our body, there are seven subtle energy centers which control our physical, mental and emotional activities. When all these chakras are functioning harmoniously, only then do you experience a sense of physical well-being. Meditation works on your chakras; it helps cleanse the chakras, to make them function harmoniously, to keep your body and mind free of disease.

On the mental level, meditation can free the mind from depression. It can help us acquire greater mental clarity, and be a guide to us to live our lives more completely and with a sense of fulfillment, both individually and as a part of the family and society. Meditation helps us make fuller use of our time and energy, so naturally we get increased material comfort also.

In the same way, meditation helps bring out our atmashakti (strength of the soul) and creates a deep sense of peace. When bliss flowers inside us, we naturally want to spread it in society. If we ourselves are miserable, how can we be of any use to society? So meditation is the one route that gives us all these three strengths.

Meditation benefits us on the physical, mental and spiritual planes. It enhances family life and social life, and ultimately leads us to spiritual life. This is the wisdom gathered by the great enlightened masters over the centuries.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 22 Oct 2007

A man went out shopping with his wife. After hours of window shopping, he asked her, “Are you at least sure of what you came to buy?” She replied, “Of course! I am here to buy a flat-out handbag.” “And what’s that?” he asked. She explained, “When the neighbors see it, they will be flat out!”

Our self-image is built with others’ opinions of us. We therefore spend our whole lives maintaining others’ opinions of us! Isn’t it time we nurtured our own intelligence to be our steadfast guide?

Words From The Master: 21 Oct 2007

Grow taller, don’t make your friend shorter!

For many celebrities 2006* is not ending too well. They are ending up in jails or worse.

What is interesting is the reaction of people to such exposures and judgments. Except for the few who are caught along with the culprits, others are happy. They are happy not because justice is being done, even if delayed. They are happy because some one else is in trouble.

It is as if we believe in a cosmic law that fixes a finite amount of trouble in this world, like fixing a finite space in hell. If someone else is in trouble, if a sufficiently large number of people is in trouble, then chances are, the probability is that I won’t be in trouble. This is the logic that works here.

Why are we happy when some one else is in trouble? Why are we troubled when some one is happy and successful? The simple answer may be jealousy, envy, the green eyed monster, that dictates that if you wish to be taller than some one else, then the simplest way is to cut the other person’s legs.

There is a more profound reason. From childhood we are brought up to believe in our deficiencies, more than our strengths. Those societies which pride themselves on building self esteem are the ones which have the largest number of depression cases.

Because we have no opinion of our own selves, we depend on other people’s opinions to feel happy. As an alternative, we feel happy, when some one else’s status is threatened, since in comparison ours is relatively better.

How can we get out of this rut? It is a natural law that happiness grows when it is shared and sorrow decreases when it is shared. Women have a greater propensity to benefit from this simple rule than men are. Men are ruled by their egos, women to a lesser extent.

Build up your self esteem. Learn to love yourself. There is nothing selfish about this. Unless you love yourself, you cannot love those dear to you. Unless you truly love your spouse, children and parents, you cannot love this world you live in.

When you wake up in the morning, when you are still in bed, touch yourself from head to toe, saying, I love my body, I am grateful to this Universe for having given me this wonderful body and mind. Do this for 21 days and see the difference. You will be transformed!

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This article was earlier published in the Economic Times, an Indian newspaper.
* What was true in year 2006, is true this year too!

Joke Of The Day: 21 Oct 2007

A man was with his friends and they decided to take part in the bull fighting game in their village. They all went to a liquor shop and all except this man drank to their hearts’ content and started out. He was standing meekly. They goaded him saying, “Listen, this is going to give you a lot of courage, go ahead and drink it.” He said to them, “That’s just what I am afraid of!”

Man’s resistance to death is so intense that he is not ready to let go and explore the latent potential in him, to discover his own powers.

FLASH NEWS: 21 Oct 2007(2)

On The Web. As per "What is Enlightenment?" magazine survey, Enlightened Master Paramahamsa Nithyananda is now ranked second amongst the spiritual gurus who are watched most on YouTube. This is within a span of five months since His videos have been posted on YouTube! (http://www.youtube.com/lifeblissfoundation)

FLASH NEWS: 21 Oct 2007

Orlando. News Paper Coverage of IVHU events. East Orlando Sun, Oct 18-24, 2007 Edition. Pages A1,A2.



Note: The "East Orlando Sun" newspaper pages have been resized and adjusted for easy read. We would prefer if the readers go to the newspaper's website to read further.

Joke Of The Day: 20 Oct 2007

A man had a miserly wife. One day he took his son to his friend’s house. The friend asked, “Son, how old are you?” The boy replied, “I’m normally eight, but when I am with my mother on the bus, I am five!”

Children are so pure and sure; it takes societal conditioning to spoil them.

Words From The Master: 20 Oct 2007

Discourse On Bhagavad Gita, 2nd Chapter: You are God! Sep 5, 2005, Monday at The Malibu Temple, Los Angeles, USA.

We are always talking. Even when we are not talking, we are preparing what to say next. We never listen. It takes true intelligence to really listen. Krishna just listens to Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita.

He patiently allows him to speak, to perceive the depth of depression and confusion that he experiences. He analyzes where Arjuna’s thoughts are coming from. Arjuna speaks. He opens his mouth, but in effect, he actually opens his Being.

In this context, Krishna is a Zen master. He addresses the issue straightaway. He instructs Arjuna to fight. Essentially Arjuna is afraid. His whole problem is depression because of fear.

The first two slokas are enough. If Arjuna can execute this, he will attain Enlightenment. If he can realize with his whole Being that Krishna is God, if he can surrender through devotion, these two slokas are sufficient. Because he is not able to be in the mood of the stotra, Krishna has to bring in shastras for him. He has to give the experience to Arjuna because he is not mature enough.

Krishna states, 'You are God.' Arjuna is not ready to believe this until Krishna expresses his Divinity, proving that he is God. Arjuna says, 'My soul is surrendered unto you.' This is a lie. If this were true, he would execute what Krishna says in the first two slokas and not need the intellectual explanation. This surrender is purely verbal. Actually what it really means is that he is ready to listen and surrender to what he wishes to hear out of Krishna’s mouth. He is not ready for the Truth.

Krishna says that there was never a time you did not exist; you will be here forever. The past, present and future are just words; you will exist throughout. You will experience this only when you fall into the present moment; then you will know your source; you will experience your Being.

Krishna says that you are beyond time, but as of now you are caught in the mind. The mind is nothing but the oscillation of thoughts, of the continual movement back and forth between the past and the future. The higher the frequency of thoughts, the further away you are from the present moment.

The human mind can only receive a few concepts at any one time. Once we fully digest and understand one concept completely, it is enough. Otherwise we are merely collecting concepts. We are just gaining ‘head weight,’ just adding knowledge, not attaining understanding.

The Bhagavad Gita is the only book that teaches you how to live. It is the book of Quantum Spirituality. It teaches how to live fully in both the material and the spiritual. The Gita teaches that you can do both at the same time. You don't have to choose. You can just explore both. Actually it is only when we live intensely in both do we realize the Truth. All we need is a little openness and sensitivity and we will experience God in whatever form, wherever we are.

I am not here to prove that I am God. I am here to prove that you are God.

Ask The Master: 19 Oct 2007

Q. You say that the dropping of pain can bring bliss -- but bliss too leads to pain when it ceases. How do I make the move from pain to bliss?

What you first need to understand is that pain and bliss are not opposites. Bliss has nothing to do with pain. Pleasure is the opposite of pain -- and like all opposites, they have no existence without each other. You are right, you cannot enjoy pleasure without suffering pain. It is significant that ancient Indian scriptures used the same word, Pain, to imply both pleasure and pain -- because pain is the ultimate result of both. Bliss is that which arises when you drop the ideas of both pleasure and pain. And you have to drop them both together -- there is no other way. Bliss is what floods you when both pain and pleasure have ceased to disturb you. Bliss is beyond pain and pleasure both. It is perfect harmony, complete inner silence, total peace.

Can you understand me?

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 19 Oct 2007

A wife and her husband concurred only on one point and that was, being stingy. They were planning to die together so that they would save money on the death proceedings. The wife said, “I am planning to be wearing that grand embroidered blouse, but of course I must remember to tell them to cut out the embroidered portion so they can use it for another dress.” Husband intervened, “But, won’t all the ladies comment on the missing patch?” “Oh, they wont be looking at me,” replied the wife, “You will be going without your pants!”

Man works hard at retaining wealth during his life and finally loses his capacity to enjoy it!

Upcoming Event: Navaratri Celebrations, Los Angeles USA - 19 to 21 Oct 2007, Fri-Sun

Date: 19 to 21 Oct 2007, Fri-Sun
Event: Navaratri Celebrations, Conducted by Swamiji
Venue: LA Ashram, 928 Huntington Dr, Duarte, CA 91010
Contact: Ma Nithyananda Praba, Ph: 626-205-3286
Registration: Click Here
More Details About Navaratri Celebrations: Click Here

Joke Of The Day: 18 Oct 2007

A man hitched a ride from a friend one day. While in the car, his friend said, “I feel you should dress more presentably.” The man retorted, “But I do dress well.” The friend continued, “Your father was such a well-dressed and stately man.” The man exclaimed, “There you are! These are his very clothes that I am wearing!”

We all correctly misunderstand what is being told to us and it is then that we miss the Truth in life; the Truth eludes us so easily!

Words From The Master: 18 Oct 2007

Science Behind Life Bliss Meditation (Nithya Dhyaan)
The Revelation

Before I explain what Nithya Dhyaan is, I would first like to give a brief background about how this revelation happened to me. Post enlightenment, I was in silence for an extended amount of time (months may be), when I was doing research on meditation techniques, to see how I can reproduce the same experience that happened in me, onto others.

I came up with around hundred different meditation techniques through all my programs and each meditation technique was an attempt to raise the individual consciousness by working on some aspect of the being.

People always asked me whether I have a meditation technique that I would recommend for everybody; which they can practice daily. This question was raised again and again. And I began to ponder deeply to come up with a technique which is a complete representation of my philosophy, teachings and my experience.

I had envisioned a meditation technique, which is holistic and complete by itself and instead of focusing on any particular aspect of the being; it should work on the entire being to transform it and make is ready for the ultimate experience to dawn. And one day, this meditation, Life Bliss Meditation (Nithya Dhyaan) was revealed to me in a flash. In an instant I could clearly see the different components of this technique; how each one relates to the other. I could clearly visualize in my inner space how this would help raise the individual consciousness in its entirety.

Life Bliss Meditation technique consists of five steps.


Step One - The Breath
Feel the lightness at the being level

The breath has the capacity to eliminate deep rooted engraved memories (samskaara) that are the reason for the lack of clarity in decisions and thought processes, irrational emotional reactions, and many such processes which are activated from a subconscious level where engraved memories (samskaara) are located.

You might have observed that the quality of your breathing changes depending on the state of your mind. Your emotions have an impact on the breathing process. When you are anxious your breathing changes. When you are angry you’re breathing changes. So your breathing is directly related to your emotions. It keeps changing as the state of the mind changes. When you are tense the normal advice given is to take a deep breath. And the moment you take a deep breath, you feel light, more relaxed and the less tense. Mind and breath are closely inter-related. You can see that when you stop breathing, it becomes very difficult to think. Breath becomes the fuel for the mind.

Likewise, if we were to control our breathing or bring about some change in our breathing pattern it will directly have an impact on our emotions; our state of mind.

Similarly suppressed emotions in the being are also a cause for an abnormal breathing pattern where the breath becomes shallow. When the breath is shallow, the suppressed emotions are not released and their memories get stored in the being. The breath doesn’t touch every part of the body. This kind of breathing becomes a fixed pattern. This way our past samskaras, our past memories which are suppressed in our being create a particular type of breathing pattern in our system. And as a result we attract similar emotions. The suppressed anger in the system has a tendency to surface and create a breathing pattern for its survival. This becomes a vicious cycle. The breathing pattern is nothing but a cumulative effect of the past Samskaara or the engraved memories of emotions.

The breathing technique in the first step of the Life Bliss Meditation (LBM) expels the engraved memories from its roots deep within. It is like shaking a tree with dead leaves. All the dead leaves fall down when shaken vigorously. This stage of the meditation leaves the body feeling vibrant and fresh due to the increased bio-energy.

Our body is never really alive if it is always under stress and tension. With the expulsion of deep rooted negativities and increase in bio- energy one can feel the lightness at a being level, immense mental clarity and awareness.


Step Two - The Inner Chatter
Experience deep mental rest

The constant inner-chatter in the mind leaves one feeling drained and tired due to lack of mental rest.

There is a constant talk going on within our minds. We may not be talking to anybody external but internally there is always something that is going on. The second stage of the Life Bliss Meditation aims at reducing this inner chatter.

Normally people find it very difficult to sit without thoughts. When you venture into meditation the first thing you encounter is resistance from the mind. The mind tends to revolt as it does not want to be quietened. It has been habituated to maintain a constant stream of thoughts for so many years. In fact people often complain that in an attempt to be thoughtless, they encounter more thoughts. Any initial attempt to make it silent is like swimming opposite to the river current. This is the time when many people tend to stop the practice of meditation since they get discouraged. They think that meditation is not possible at all for them. But let me tell you that this is the experience of all meditators initially.

In the mythological story of Churning of the Ocean (Sagara Manthana) the Gods and the demons are together trying to churn the ocean to extract the divine nectar of immortality. But to their surprise the first thing that emerges from the ocean is the deadly poison. Eventually many other things emerge due to the churning. And finally they are gifted with emergence of the divine nectar.

This is a very metaphorical story which has a deep significance in the process of meditation. When the mind is churned in the process of meditation to extract the experience of enlightenment, the first thing to come out is always the deep rooted negativity suppressed from the past. Do not feel discouraged; this is an indication of progress that the negativity is been thrown out. Continue practicing meditation till you experience the supreme state.

This second stage of the Life Bliss Meditation can be an extremely useful tool to help silence the mind. Mind is nothing but the inner chatter. And when the inner chatter reduces, you start progressing towards a deep restful thoughtless awareness. You start experiencing a different dimension of your being.

Our body and the mind are mostly out of sync. While our body has its own innate intelligence guiding it all the time, it’s the mind that refuses to corroborate with that intelligence. The mind forces the body into certain actions which later on manifests as a disease. Disease here means absence of ease ( in the body ) . If the body is made to run forcibly, then it is going to revolt some time or the other. Many a times we tend to overeat. The body sends out signals that it is full but the mind is not satisfied. It wants more. And we end up eating more creating more and more damage to the body. The repercussions of this action are then felt later. So creating a harmony between the body and the mind is very essential to go beyond both. Else we would be caught in this psycho-physical entity and transcendence would be difficult.

This second stage of the Life Bliss Meditation is one of the best techniques to maintain the synchronicity between the body and the mind.


Step Three - Energy Centers
Radiate positive emotions & well-beingness

We have seven key energy centers in our body that are associated with specific emotions in our being. These emotions in turn are a result of the deep rooted engraved memories or samskaara which have been accumulated from the past. These samskaaras block the particular energy center causing physical and mental disturbances.

When the energy centers get unblocked from negative emotions and then we start emitting positive emotions like love and compassion. Many of our diseases are psychosomatic. They have their roots in the mind. What we see is its effect and so we never really understand this mind-body connection. When a particular energy center gets blocked, the part of the body near that energy center gets affected. You might have seen that when you worry too much there is sense of tightness around the stomach region or the stomach gets upset. So it is important to keep the energy centers cleansed for good physical and mental health.

Emotions like fantasies, imaginations, fear, worry, attention need, jealousy, ego and discontentment have negative existence. If you are asked to take an object out of the room, all you have to do is to pick up the object and take it out. So in this case the object has positive existence. But let us say that there is a dark room and you are asked to take the darkness out of room. You cannot really carry the darkness out of the room. Because here, darkness has a negative existence and cannot be removed physically. You just have to turn-on the light to dispel or remove the darkness. All these negative emotions also have a negative existence just like the darkness in the room. Bringing awareness and understanding about the system of energy centers can help eliminate negative emotions. This naturally allows the positive emotions to flow and radiate.

Once Buddha tied a knot and asked one of his disciples to untie the knot. The disciple tried to pull the knot in different directions which only tightened the knot further. Then Buddha asked another disciple to untie the knot. This disciple first examined the knot carefully and slowly untied the knot. Buddha then explained that if you have to untie the knot of ignorance in your being, you first have to learn to observe and examine it carefully. You have to flood your being with awareness and the negativity will be instantaneously obliterated.

This third stage of the Life Bliss Meditation is one of the best techniques to allow the positive emotions to surface and be expressed.

To know more about the science of Energy Centers, you can attend the Life Bliss Program or the Ananda Spurana Program that elaborately discusses each Energy Center and the emotions related each of them and prescribes a meditation technique for each Energy Center.


Step Four - The Mind
Liberate from the clutches of the mind

The mind is nothing but a collection of thoughts. These thoughts rise up in succession like the bubbles in a fish tank. All these thoughts that rise in the mind also appear to be connected. But just like the bubbles in the fish tank the thoughts in the mind are also independent and unconnected.

You can do a small exercise. For ten minutes sit silently and observe the thoughts that arise in your mind. Don’t try to control or stop thinking. Just be silent and witness the thoughts coming. The moment a thought comes quickly write it down on paper. At the end of ten minutes read out whatever is written. You will see that it’s a mad man’s diary. There is utter chaos. There is no connection between the previous thought and the next one. All the thoughts are un-clutched and unconnected. Only when you write down your thoughts you come to know that the thoughts have no real connection. You may be thinking about having a cup of coffee and the next moment you may think about some office work which is pending. There is no real connection between having a cup of tea and the office work. Both are independent events. Even if there are two consecutive thoughts about the same event the thoughts are unconnected as there is no continuity. There exists a silent gap between these thoughts of which one is not aware.

The thoughts by their very nature are un-clutched. The problem starts when we start connecting these thoughts. When these independent and unconnected thoughts are linked up, we create illusions of pleasure or pain based on the nature of thoughts that we choose to link -up. This is a play of the mind that is constantly happening within us.

For example; you might have eaten ice cream ten years ago, you might have eaten ice cream seven years ago and you might have eaten ice cream two years ago and you might have eaten ice cream yesterday. All these experiences might have been very pleasurable for you. You might have enjoyed the ice cream on each of that occasion. The trouble starts when these experiences are connected and an imaginary shaft or an understanding is created that eating ice cream makes you happy. But sometime in the future eating ice cream may not be as enjoyable as on the earlier occasions. Even if you don’t enjoy the ice cream you will make yourself believe that you like the ice cream. Because you have got into the habit of connecting the thoughts; you unconsciously start accepting that you enjoy ice cream. Here the imaginary joy is one aspect of the illusion while the other is the recording of the false emotion deep within you. Similarly so many such incidents and thoughts are connected and recorded as illusions rather than as independent moments of pain or pleasure.

Similar is the case with painful experiences. The pain which you experienced ten years ago, the pain which you experiences seven years ago, the pain which you experienced three years ago and the pain which you experienced yesterday are independent events. There is no connection between these events. But through connecting events of similar nature you are creating a shaft that gives you the feeling of prolonged agony. This will leave you feeling that your life has been miserable and painful all along. Similarly connecting all the pleasurable experiences in your life gives you the feeling that that your life is pleasure.

But actually neither of it is true. Your life is neither pleasure nor pain because the very process of connecting these events is a mistake. The idea that the thoughts are connected is a misconception. Ironically we don’t connect all the thoughts. We only connect those that we remember and create the shaft. It is similar to how a bouquet is created by picking just a few flowers from a garden.

When we create the shaft we suffer. If you have created a shaft of pleasure we try to extend it because you want to experience the same pleasure again. But if you have created a shaft of pain then you try to break it because you want to avoid the pain. You can neither extend the shaft nor break it because it never existed in the first place. The shaft itself is a myth.

All your experiences are independent experiences. The moment you have connected these experiences you have created suffering too. Now you will understand why suffering is also imaginary. It is based on something imaginary. It is based on something unreal. It’s just an appearance. The shaft is unreal; it does not exist. So the suffering that is created due to the shaft is also unreal. Once you realize this you are liberated. So by our very nature we are un-clutched. We are enlightened and just we have to realize it.

When we perceive every incident is a new incident we see life in a more beautiful way. Everything seems joyful and blissful. You stop taking things for granted. Once you start accepting life from moment to moment, bliss happens to you naturally.

In this step, carry this understanding with you that your thoughts are unconnected, irrational and un-clutched. There is no horizontal connection between your thoughts. Even if you have thoughts neither try to suppress the thoughts nor try to react to them. Just watch them with the understanding that they are un-clutched. Automatically witnessing consciousness will start happening in you. You will go beyond the two identities. You will realize that you are neither the shaft of pleasure nor the shaft of pain but you are the background on which these shafts are drawn.


Step Five - Chanting
Melt into the arms of existence with gratitude

The vibrations from chanting can have a profound impact at the being level. Mantras create energy that can calm and soothe the mind.

The Chanting in Step 5 of the Life Bliss Meditation can help you journey to the deeper levels of peace from where gratitude overflows towards existence for all that we have been bestowed upon for. The attitude of gratitude can provide a jumping board towards experiencing a deep connection with existence and the peace energy that exits around us The chanting of mantras carry vibrations, which can transform your being to make it more pure and blissful.

Practice of Life Bliss Meditation at least once a day can help you experience a new dimension of your being. This technique will help you to prepare your body and the mind to experience the state of pure consciousness and bliss.

______________________
This excerpt is taken from the website http://www.lifeblissmeditation.org
Click here to buy the Nithya Dhyaan Guided Meditation CD.

Words From The Master: 17 Oct 2007

RESPONSIBILITY – the way to expand

Some time back, there was Tuberculosis all over Tamil Nadu. They found medicines and cured it. The officials responsible for eradicating it proudly claimed that they were the ones responsible for curing it. But did they take up the responsibility for the fact that it was allowed to spread all over town? No! They were actually responsible for the spreading of Tuberculosis also, is it not? They should have prevented it. Likewise, in our lives, we claim responsibility for any good that happens but don’t claim responsibility for anything bad that happens. We take up responsibility with discrimination. For anything bad that happens, we feel someone else is responsible; and mostly that someone is God! The biggest garbage can in our lives is God! For anything bad that happens, we blame Him. Poor man – He can’t even talk back!

Only if we take up responsibility for everything that happens in our lives, we will start expanding. When you start living with the attitude – I am responsible, your whole life will change. If you sit and analyze each and every incident in your life, you will see clearly that only you have been responsible for them. But we normally pass the buck and blame others for what has been happened in our lives. Those who do not wish to progress at all in life may do so. Those who wish to blossom should feel responsible directly or indirectly for everything that happens around them.

Most of us wait for the status to come in order to take up the responsibility. Be very clear, it doesn’t work that way. Only if we take up responsibility, the status will come. Those who wait for the status will not take up responsibility even after they get it. They will simply find another reason or excuse, that’s all.

You are currently living like a slave. You work 8 hours in your office. The same 8 hours, if you take up responsibility and work, things will become very easy for you. Take for example a doctor who is practicing privately and a doctor who works for the government. The former will appear to be flowering and happy all the time with no grudge or grumble. But the latter will appear to be under some load all the time. This is because the former stands up with responsibility while the latter does not. If he too stands up with responsibility, the whole scene will change for him. Else, he will keep looking at his watch to see if it has struck 5pm for him to leave. For him, only the 1st of every month will be sweet since it would be payday! From the 2nd to the 31st, it will be sour. He sacrifices 30 days for that one day of joy. A sense of personal responsibility can help turn around any situation and achieve great things.

When you collectively stand up with responsibility, you become a solid force. Until then, you remain a burden for yourself and for others. We often think that we are after all in an ordinary post and that when our higher authorities at work are not taking up responsibility, why should we take up. Let me tell you, in an office, when a sweeper does all his duties perfectly, he will inspire people. You see, the head of the organization has to be responsible. No credit is given to him for that! In the same way, a leader has to be responsible. No credit is given to him for being so; whereas if a sweeper is responsible, he can inspire an entire institution. So drop these kinds of ideas. There is a higher chance of people at a lower post inspiring others through their sense of responsibility than people at a higher post.

Therefore, firstly, don’t wait to get a post to become responsible. Secondly, don’t think that you are in a lesser post and therefore you need not be responsible. Thirdly, allow the cognitive shift to happen in you. Allow a change in the mental setup to happen in you.

This (the cognitive shift) will happen when you stand up saying that you are responsible. For just 24 hours, if you stand up with this feeling, things that were lying unfinished for which you blamed others will get finished and your entire life will change, and blossom with a new sense of happiness. The habit of looking at the time will leave you; a new kind of ecstasy will engulf you. You will become a natural leader and life will become a celebration!

______________________
This excerpt is taken from the book: "A comprehensive guide to Nithya Spiritual Healing"

Joke Of The Day: 17 Oct 2007

A man walked into the dispatch section of his sprawling office and found a boy idling. He asked him, "How much is your monthly salary?" The boy replied, “1000 rupees, Sir." He thrust 1000 rupees into his hand and told him to get out. He then asked the manager why he did not take action against the idling boy. The manager replied, "Sir, I cannot take any action against him. He is the delivery boy of our vendor and was awaiting his cheque for the goods delivered."

Especially in the haughtiest of moments, we need to bring a little intelligence and a thoughtful pause into ourselves.

Words From The Master: 16 Oct 2007

Words, words and more words!

Imagine for a moment that the first half of this column is empty. Imagine that the tape you are listening to is silent and has no content for just two minutes. What happens? Your mind races. Thoughts flood you. What has happened, you wonder, what has gone wrong? Why are there no words?

Nothing has gone wrong, nothing at all. Your mind cannot tolerate silence; that is all. Thoughts and words are a call of your consciousness telling you that your center is unfilled.

There are two kinds of people. One kind is the people who follow words and seek meaning behind the words. Another kind is those people who ignore the meaning and seek the source of thoughts. The first kind is the Commissar and the second kind is the Yogi.

Seeking words and thoughts cannot fulfill you. When you seek words you move into the outer world. You move into the space of sense objects, which results in pain or pleasure. However, many times you may experience the physical or sensual pleasure led by your thoughts, you still keep seeking the same pleasure. What one calls karma, is really the effect of these unfulfilled desires.

The meaning of thoughts and words is not to provoke movement towards these external experiences that can never be fulfilled but to move towards the center, the core of your being. Only there will you find the comfort in silence.

Words soothe your superficial mind the same way as scratching an itch seems to provide some comfort. In actual fact it makes the problem worse. It is the same with words. The more words you use the more confused you are. Be careful of all those scholars and philosophers who use highly complex language and words to propound their theories. They themselves do not understand what they are saying, so they are forced to confuse others by using complexity as a tool.

Whenever you ask questions, more questions arise. This is seen as the measure of intelligence in our system of education. When one really understands, one realizes two things. Firstly, one realizes that questions and answers do not lead to any understanding at all. Secondly, one realizes that understanding happens when thoughts cease.

Truth resides in silence. Truth resides in contemplation. As you move inwards towards the source of words and thoughts, mind becomes still in simplicity.

This stillness, this silence leads to fulfillment.

______________________
This article was earlier published in the Economic Times, an Indian newspaper, on 11th October 2007.

Joke Of The Day: 16 Oct 2007

A man’s father was dying. All his relatives were standing around watching the wealthy shop owner die. He had his father’s head on his lap. His father asked him, “Who are the people who have assembled?” He named all the family members present one by one from the oldest to the youngest. At the end, the old man cried out, “What? Are you telling me that there is no one minding the shop!”

Even in the midst of life’s great dramas, the intelligent does not lose focus on the responsibilities given to him.

Joke Of The Day: 15 Oct 2007

A man was scrambling for attention at the counter of an exceptionally crowded grocery store. Exasperated, he left the store, walked to a telephone booth and made a call to the store's tele-order section. He read out the list of items he wanted and got a prompt response about their availability. When asked for the mailing address, he ordered them to be delivered at the telephone booth opposite the store.

A little creativity can turn around any difficult situation. Meditation can help kindle the creativity in you!

Ask The Master: 15 Oct 2007

Q. I get easily angry and hurt when someone insults me. How can I avoid this?

Why do you try to avoid it? To suppress pain, anger, humiliation will only cause it to stay in your system in a repressed form. Suppressed emotions can be dangerous - a little anger, a small feeling of hurt, can fester over time into a deep and lasting hatred.

Instead, try accepting your emotion without judging yourself. Are you feeling hurt? Right, now enter completely into the feeling of hurt. Don't avoid it, don't reject it. Don't sympathize with yourself either, don't direct it against the person who hurt you - simply watch the emotion as it plays in your system. This may take a while - may be a few hours, even a few days. And then you will see a transformation you never imagined. After all, emotion is energy, tremendous energy. Just how long can so much raw energy circulate in your system? The moment you accept your pain with no rejection, welcoming its role in your life, the whole quality of pain changes. The same energy that was pain, anger, suffering is transformed into the blessed emotions of love and bliss.

This is Compassion, the silent force that moves in each of us, the force that transforms the ugly into the beautiful. And Compassion brings its own rewards.

Difficult to believe? It will certainly be, till you experience it yourself. Give it a chance!

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Words From The Master: 14 Oct 2007

Life too is a game!

When the Indian cricket team does well, the whole nation is in jubilation. When it fails, the entire country goes into mourning. Heroes turn into villains overnight, and again into heroes when they manage to win.

It is sad; not the team not doing well, but a whole nation caught up in something so insignificant. Ours is a country with a tradition and culture that is well over 5000 years old. Not even the marauding Moguls and the colonizing Europeans could destroy our culture. This culture was built upon the teaching that one should look at success and failure in the same manner, with equanimity.

An imported game that one writer famously said was eleven fools playing and eleven thousand fools watching is now taking a whole nation on a roller coaster of emotional rides. What for!

You may say, it is only a game. I say to you, your whole life is a game!

When you watch your team play poorly and you cringe as the wickets fall, it is not a game for you. So many things seem to be at stake; your pride, for instance. The patriotism that you never felt when a fellow Indian asked for help in a foreign land suddenly surfaces and your blood boils. How can these guys let my country down?

You watch a movie. You know it is not real. Yet, you cry, you laugh, you jump and shout. When the projection stops, all you have is a blank screen.

So is your life. Whatever you experience is another game and another movie. It is real when you experience it. It is very real when you get hurt, when you bleed and you are in pain. It is very real when you eat your favorite sweet and you enjoy the taste.

When you treat life as a game, and the game too as a game, you truly start enjoying the experience. You can leave your emotions behind as the experience passes.

Do not carry the emotions with you. It is that connection which disturbs you. When you expect the team to win, and they lose, you feel sorrow. When you hope to get promoted, and your colleague is promoted instead, you feel sorrow, jealousy and vengeance, all combined.

The choice is yours, whether to watch the game knowing it is only a game and enjoying it, or to wallow in sorrow treating it as real.

______________________
This article was earlier published in the Economic Times, an Indian newspaper.

Joke Of The Day: 14 Oct 2007

A man was stranded in an island for many years. Suddenly one day he saw a ship responding to his signals and he jumped for joy. The ship docked and the captain of the ship came to him and handed him a pack of newspapers. He added, "I would suggest that you read these first and decide if you still want to be rescued."

Very often, although we feel opposite pastures are greener, the truth might be that we are better off as we are. We often wait to get to the other side to realise this.

Ask The Master: 13 Oct 2007

Q. When does worry become depression?

Depression is nothing but the clinical name for chronic worry.

What is chronic worrying?

The mind is an excellent recording system. It stores your negative thought patterns, your complexes, your worries. Whatever you teach the mind, it learns and repeats faithfully. So watch what you tell your mind!

For instance, suppose you experience a failure in business. To make it worse, your marriage breaks up around the same period. Chances are that you'll begin to believe that something is wrong with you, that whatever you touch is bound to be a failure. By continuously repeating this negative idea to yourself, you help it get even more deeply rooted in your memory. And as time passes, the mind begins to automatically play back whatever you have taught it, even in other situations, disturbing you without your knowledge or permission. This becomes a habit for your mind, resulting in a serious inferiority complex.

Just as poor eating habits ultimately cause fat deposits to accumulate in your body, or cholesterol to accumulate in your arteries, constant worrying can actually cause worried to solidify in your Being. And just as cholesterol creates blockages in your arteries, depression creates energy blockages in your Being. Depression is felt as a total low, a state past all hope. It is a state where we have handed over our controls to a monster we have created ourselves.

On the physical level, worry quickly manifests itself as ailments of the stomach (just check how often you need to visit the restroom on the day of an exam or a job interview!). This is significant, because worry is closely connected to the Manipuraka Chakra, located in the naval region. The energy of this chakra, which controls the functions of digestion and elimination, gets locked by constant worrying.

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 13 Oct 2007

Once a man decided to get married and started looking out for a girl for himself. No matter which girl he brought home, his mother disapproved. Finally, he found a girl who resembled his mother in looks, attitude, habit and dress sense. He brought her home and his mother fell for her. Unfortunately for him, his father hated her!

We continuously collect images from all that we see around us. We constantly compare reality with these images and feel disappointed. Unless we throw out these images, we will not be able to enjoy the real beauty around us!

Joke Of The Day: 12 Oct 2007

Once a man was confessing to a friend: "You know, after all these years of publishing books, I've realized that I don't have any knowledge of writing." Asked the friend, "Are you going to stop writing?" "Oh no!" replied the man, "I have become too famous now!"

Anything sells today, because man is searching for the Truth so desperately and so unknowingly that he is willing to try anything that comes his way in order to find it.

Ask The Master: 12 Oct 2007

Ask The Master: 11 Oct 2007

Q. Who is the Master, the Guru?

The Guru is a being in whom Nithya Ananda or Eternal Bliss is expressed; one who creates and transmits a formula and the space for others to experience the same eternally -- without the need for formula and space. From time immemorial, the Guru-sishya parampara (Master-disciple relationship) started in the Himalayas. It is the oldest of relationships. The very idea of relating with one another started only after this relationship.

It is also the last relationship before enlightenment. Before this, humans were like animals, barbaric, in whatever culture and religion. All civilizations started with the advent of the Master-disciple relationship. Even Masters who taught that there was no need for a Guru, like J Krishnamurthy, became Gurus despite themselves. All knowledge, not just spiritual, needs a Guru, the person who leads us from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge.

In modern days, people tend to question the need for a spiritual Guru, but not the other kinds. People respect those who teach a skill that helps them earn money, but spiritual Masters come by as optional. Spirituality is not an option, something esoteric, something magical, something unattainable. It is the state in which we are in mentally and physically -- sound and happy, our relationships with one another are productive and fruitful, and in addition we have the awareness of what we are doing at every instant. This awareness makes us spontaneous, grounds us in the present, and makes us truly responsible for our thoughts, words and actions. Each individual needs to attain this state for one's own good as well as that of others around.

If you understand this truth and respect spiritual knowledge, you will not question the need for a spiritual Master. Man needs a Master. It's your choice to select a spiritual Master or an unenlightened person as your Guru. If you are not guided by your Master, some one will guide you and if that person is not capable, you will suffer.

If you choose a political person as your Master he will rule you by fear; if you choose some other celebrity, he might rule you by greed. Only a spiritual Master rules you with love, and liberates you.

A spiritual Master liberates you from greed, fear and fantasies.

He who leads from darkness to light is the Master, the Guru.

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from the biographical book: Nithyananda Vol 1.

Joke Of The Day: 11 Oct 2007

A man went to visit his friend and he heard a terrible argument going on inside while he was standing at the latter’s doorstep. He knocked and went in to find his friend all alone. He inquired about the argument. His friend laughed and replied, “I have this habit of talking to myself.” The man was puzzled. “How come you were arguing then?” he asked. The latter replied, “Oh! I always argue with people who don’t conform to logic!”

Sometimes you need to be at the receiving end to understand matters, especially about yourself!

Ask The Master: 10 Oct 2007

Q. Is suffering essential?

Yes, in a way it is.

Because suffering can be a powerful catalyst to growth. Just like a seed first has to rupture before a plant can grow and blossom, intense suffering can break down the defenses of your ego, leaving you open and vulnerable to Existence. With your usual thought patterns shattered, you begin to see things as they actually are.

Pain is part of everybody's life. True maturity lies in knowing how to use that pain -- before it uses you!

A small story:

Two men, one a jnaani (a wise man), and the other an ordinary man, were traveling through a forest on a dark, moonless night. Suddenly, a shaft of lightning flashed in the sky.

The ordinary man began to tremble in fear. A storm! His mind was immediately given over to confusion. Should he walk on? Or should he find a safe place to stop till the storm was spent? The man began wishing that he had never decided to undertake this journey. He cursed himself as foolish and unlucky. In other words, he fell headlong into suffering!

The jnaani, on the other hand, simply used the moment to take a better look at the road ahead. He ensured that he was traveling in the right direction, thanked the lightning for its help, and moved onward.

Pain is just like this flash of lightning. You have no control over its existence. But whether you suffer from it or learn from it, is entirely up to you!

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from the book: Open the Door, Let the breeze in!

Joke Of The Day: 10 Oct 2007

A man came into the doctor's room asking for attention. "Doctor, I swallowed a gold coin two years back; you simply have to get it out", he said. The doctor was stunned and exclaimed, "Why my son! you should have come to me immediately, not after two years!" Replied the man, "Well Doctor, I was not so much in need of the gold coin at that time."

We most often miss the golden opportunity when it presents itself to us and later scramble to find it.

Ask The Master: 9 Oct 2007

Q. Master, is enlightenment possible?

The first thing that you need to understand is that Enlightenment is possible; because from time immemorial there has been a conflict or fight among our sages. One group of Sages says there is something called as enlightenment. The other group says no there is no such thing as enlightenment.

People who say there is something called enlightenment, they state the fact. People who say there is no such thing as enlightenment, they say the truth. The first group, they give the fact that there is something called enlightenment. The second group, by saying there is no enlightenment create that as a technique. The idea that there is no enlightenment is a technique to make you enlightened.

Just by the idea that there is enlightenment you turn enlightenment into a goal. The moment you make it as a goal you miss the goal. Anybody who makes enlightenment as a goal, they always miss it. It is not the goal; it is the very path itself.

Please understand, if you are not able to realize the truth when I am speaking, the air which comes from me as a sound, the moment it reaches your ears, if you do not feel the effect of the words in you, forget about the words. When you carry this as a memory in your mind, you will always give your meaning. When you start giving your meaning to my words when you go home, you will create two problems: you will torture yourself and vomit these words on others and torture others.

When masters say there is nothing called enlightenment, they are breaking your goal oriented mind and they are bringing you to this present moment. From time immemorial, in the Vedic system of India, the spiritual nerve center of the world, I've seen two kinds of seers, two kinds of rishis. One group continuously says there is enlightenment; these are the descendants of Sankara. The other group that says, no there is no such thing as enlightenment; these are descendents of Buddha. One says Purna, the other group says Sunya. But both of them are leading to the same reality. One group states the fact; the other group says the truth.

When I use these two words you need to understand - the fact is as it is, as you understand. Truth is the word that you may not understand with your mind. But the moment you work with that word, suddenly something opens up in your being and you end up in the truth.

By the words of Sankara, when he says there is enlightenment - the Purna, he inspires you to work towards it. He creates tremendous inspiration. When the tremendous inspiration is created, automatically all other goals, all other ideas are dropped from your mind. The moment Buddha says it is Sunya, no there is no such thing as enlightenment, there is no such thing as Purna, there is no need for you to run. There is no need for you to search; immediately the tremendous energy which is created in you in the name of search starts falling into itself, it is directed towards itself. The moment the energy is directed towards itself, it becomes enlightenment.

Desire without object is enlightenment. When you have some strong desire with object, you are towards that object. But if the object is removed, the same strong pull, desire, energy, the same energy turns towards itself and you realize yourself.

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from Nithyananda's discourse on Ashtavakra Gita, titled "Enlightenment: Guaranteed", delivered in Bangalore in November 2005.

Joke Of The Day: 9 Oct 2007

Once a school teacher was walking along with a friend in her school campus and was greeted by many students down the corridor. She would smile at them and say under her breath, "The same to you." After a while the friend asked her, "Why do you always say that?" She replied, "After all, I've been a student myself and I know what they are thinking!"

Experience is always the best teacher!

Ask The Master: 8 Oct 2007

Q. This whole issue of Enlightenment worries me. Am I working towards it in the right way?

If you're working towards Enlightenment - and worrying about it, on top of that - you can be sure you won't get anywhere close! The only way to approach Enlightenment is to forget about it altogether. Of course, it's not easy to forget, but the problem with focusing too hard on the destination is that you miss out on the joys of the journey. Surrender to the present moment, and the future will take care of itself.

The worry about enlightenment is the last big declaration of the ego. Don't be deceived by it; it is only taking you further away from your destination. Enlightenment can happen only when you are in the egoless state, ready to receive. Enlightenment is not a performance, it is not something to be achieved through anxiety and effort. On the contrary, when you are ready, you will slip into it of your own accord, naturally and effortlessly. In the meantime, do the best sadhana you can: simply Enjoy!

______________________
This excerpt has been taken from the book: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions

Joke Of The Day: 8 Oct 2007

A lady was very weary of her husband's activities and got jealous very easily. Everyday, the latter's clothes would undergo inspection and the slightest hair discovered would trigger off an ordeal. One day, she found nothing on his clothes and burst into tears: "You have started going out with bald women!"

The human mind invents worries because worry is nothing but an axis for it to revolve. Without worries, it would feel insecure and without support.

Ask The Master: 7 Oct 2007

Q. Dear Swamiji, are we in the world or is the world in us?

Neither are you in the world nor is the world in you. The very idea that you are in the world makes you materialistic. The idea that the world is in you, makes you spiritualistic. Both are ideas.

Please be very clear that if you think you are in the world, you become materialistic. You run behind the world. You just run behind it. You want to have it. You want to possess it. If you think the world is in you, you run behind your being, you want to possess it. It is the same running, just that it is diverted a little bit inside. The running for spiritual progress or running for some spiritual experience, we call it mystery mongering. Even the running for mystic experiences is nothing but mystery mongering. Both are actually concepts, both are ideas. When you understand both are ideas, you really allow the spiritual experience to happen to you, which cannot be done by words.

An example: Take the river Ganga. Suppose a small bamboo is floating on the Ganga. Taking that bamboo as the center, if you think that the Ganga has been split into two halves, right-side Ganga and left-side Ganga, would that be right? Can you say the Ganga has been divided?

No, in reality Ganga is never divided. Because you have taken the bamboo as center and divided the river for the sake of utility. For the sake of your understanding, you have labeled it as right-side Ganga and left-side Ganga.

In the same way, just for the sake of utility you name this as the body and that as the world. It is just a naming, a labeling. Just look in, look into yourself. Why do I say look in? You know that for a long time you have only looked out. That is the reason I say look in. When you look inward, you see there is really no boundary between this and that, between you and the world. If you perceive one boundary as stronger you will feel that you are in the world. If you perceive the other boundary as stronger, you feel that the world is in you. The people who are in the world, the worldly people, and the so-called materialists, they say, ‘We are in the world’. People who close their eyes and sit in the caves, the Himalayas, they say, ‘The world is in you’. But both are just concepts. Both are just concepts.

If you feel this boundary as stronger, you think you are in the world. If you think that boundary is stronger, you think the world is in you. Once you drop both concepts, you will see simply that you are, and wherever you are, you are joyful.

Generally the great saints and enlightened people teach you that the world is in you. Do you know why they teach you that way? Because you are already addicted to the opposite idea, that you are in the world. Just to bring you out of that idea, they teach that the world is in you. Actually to remove one thorn from your foot, you need to use another thorn. But once you have removed the thorn, you need to throw away both. The idea that the world is in you is only another thorn to remove the thorn that is already piercing you. In the ultimate sense, both are just concepts. When you drop these boundaries, you understand reality, you understand what is truth. It cannot be expressed by either of these concepts.

If you remove that bamboo from the Ganga, can you say Ganga has become one? No, because it is always one. The very word one exists only if you say there is two. If there is no two, how can you say it is one? Is it clear to you? The word singular exists only as long as the word plural exists. When the word plural is lost, how can you say this is singular? That is why the rishis and sages called this philosophy Advaita.

Dvaita means plural - duality. But Advaita cannot be translated as singular – because that would imply the presence of a plural somewhere, which Advaita does not acknowledge. Advaita can be translated only as non-dualist. It can never be expressed as ‘single’. It can be expressed only as ‘where there is no duality’. Dvaita means duality. Advaita means where there is no duality, that’s all.

If you say you are in the world, you are expressing duality. If you say world is in you, you are doing the same thing. Only if you experience the truth that neither is true, do you experience the truth. The truth cannot be expressed with Dvaita, it can only be expressed with Advaita.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: The Simple Truth, Straightaway!

Joke Of The Day: 7 Oct 2007

Once a lady suddenly felt that she was working too hard in the house. One day, she let go and screamed at her husband, “Anyone would think that you’ve employed me as a cook for you in this house.” Unnerved he replied, “They wouldn’t, not after they’ve eaten the food.”

Any work given to us, if taken up as a meditation can produce the most fulfilling results. We don’t do this and therefore neither see the desired results nor feel good about ourselves.

FLASH NEWS: 6 Oct 2007

Guadeloupe. Spiritual head Swami Bhaktananda of the Nithyananda Order will be touring Guadaloupe in the French West Indies. Last week hundreds of people attended his discourses where he spoke on the Bhagavad Gita. A TV Interview was aired on channel 10 in Guadaeloupe and France. Details to follow.

St Louis, MO, USA. A 140 acres land has been obtained in St Louis for a new ashram. Details to follow.

Joke Of The Day: 6 Oct 2007

Thirty years of marriage and his nagging wife was dying. The husband was sitting in the room quietly surrounded by relatives. A close uncle caught his hand consolingly and said, "Don't let yourself suffer, you have tried your best." Husband quietly replied, "I've suffered thirty years. I can suffer a few more hours."

Life is not about making the other the right person, it is about becoming the right person. If this is understood, there will not be any suffering.

Joke Of The Day: 5 Oct 2007

A wife during a fight turned to her husband and wailed, “How is it that you hate all my relatives?” “You know that’s not true,” the husband replied, “You know that I like your mother-in-law a lot better than mine.”

Truth in its simplest form is most often unacceptable to us; when twisted and packaged, we receive it better. Such is the complexity of our minds.

Joke Of The Day: 4 Oct 2007

A wife and her husband were celebrating their fifty years of marriage. Wife presented the latter with two shirts for the occasion. Husband was very touched and declared that they would go out for dinner instead of cooking at home. It was a very tender moment for the two. Husband freshened up and to make his wife happy, wore one of the gift shirts and appeared from his room. Wife looked up and smiled, paused and snarled, "So the other shirt's no good?"

The greatest challenge is to make another totally happy, because happiness can never be achieved from outside, it is something that happens inside oneself. It can happen only when one is blossoming from within!

Joke Of The Day: 3 Oct 2007

A man who hadn’t visited his family for many years greeted his nephew with the usual, “Hey! The last time I saw you, you were only so little!” “Yes,” the boy agreed, “and you were only so wide!”

At times, it helps to think twice before venturing!

Joke Of The Day: 2 Oct 2007

One man was enthusiastically explaining to a group of people how very identical his twin daughters were. "How do you tell them apart?" he was asked. "Oh! the blonde one always wears her hair well!" he replied.

Sometimes, we miss the most obvious of things and go in search of the remote ones. This is how we waste our precious time!

Event Highlights: Sri Vidya Pooja, Los Angeles USA - 29 September 2007

There was a mood of festivity and celebration at the Vedic Temple in Los Angeles today. Swamiji announced inauguration of Nithyananda International Vedic Science University and that Vedic Temple in Montclair, CA will be inaugurated from Nov 7 to Nov 11, 2007. To mark the beginning of this 10 million project, a masters gift to mankind, the beginning of a new Era, Sri Vidya Puja was performed to the Vedic chants of Swamiji. The University would stand for the rich Vedic tradition and spread this science to the world, by facilitating further research and development in Vedic sciences. The Temple would be one of a kind by having largest and tallest idols in North America, not to mention the largest number of idols in one single sacred space. This new place would serve as city center and temple for all spiritual services of the mission.

Swamiji explained in detail each step of the Sri Vidya Puja for all the devotees present and for all the devotees who performed the puja under the guidance of Swamiji. In His talk Swamji said, "The Vedic Rishis have created millions of techniques and methods to connect with the divine. However the most beautiful and sweetest way is to relate with the divine as a mother. Its a complete path that can lead one to enlightenment by itself." Having said that Swamiji lead everyone through a meditation to connect with the physical mother thereby creating an inner space where one is ready to receive and connect with the cosmic mother.

The Sri Vidya puja is performed with the Maha Meru or the Sri Chakra (a mystical construction representing the mother energy) which has 43 seemingly simple but intricate triangles in it. There are 43 energies inside a human body like the energy to breath, see, feel anger, fear or desire etc. If one integrates all these 43 energies to one single point, one becomes enlightened. During the Sri Vidya Puja we invoke all 43 energies. When we intensely pray to Devi, they start opening up. As they open up, we realize the Devi within us, and become Devi - the cosmic mother. This is the science behind Sri Vidya Puja.

The puja and Maha Arati were followed by individual blessings to everyone present from Swamiji and then the Maha Prasad.

Click here for photos from the event.

Joke Of The Day: 1 Oct 2007

One man was scrambling through the jungle one day when he was accosted by a lion. He felt hopeless, knelt down and started to pray. A few moments later, he opened his eyes and found the lion beside him also praying. "Dear brother," he said to the lion, "I am greatly comforted to see you join in my prayer at this moment when I thought my life was at stake." "Don't interrupt," growled the lion, "I'm saying grace."

That is why we say, not to lose touch with nature and its ways!